ROCKLIN--Max Best achieved what you might call a signature success Saturday.

On the mat, and on a forehead.

The Pioneer High School senior wrestled rival Will Thornton of Placer in the Division III Sac-Joaquin Section Meet 184-pound final and won.

The 6-3 victory over Thornton, who defeated Best in two previous matches this season, completed his half of a deal the Patriot made with aunt Tammy Trombley.

"She said, 'Hey I heard there's someone here that you haven't beaten before, so I really want you to beat him. If you beat him, you can sign my forehead,'" Best said. "I was like, I gotta win now."

It's not like he wasn't already pumped up for a rematch with Thornton, who bested Best at the Tim Brown Memorial Tournament on Jan. 25 and at Natomas' No Guts, No Glory on Dec. 28.

"After losing to him twice, I've been dying to see him," said Best, who still earned a school-record fifth place at Tim Brown Memorial. "Coach Ed (Barrera) and Coach Brandon (Monroe) both have been working on me to get me to win that match right there. There was a lot of work into that match."

There certainly was a gameplan, Barrea said.

"(Thornton) is a little unorthodox with the stuff he does," the coach said. "So Max felt more comfortable on his feet."

It seemed to work, as Thornton only tallied points on two escapes and a stalling call against Best.

"I figured him out," Best said. "I figured out where he's comfortable and where he's not comfortable, and I used that to my advantage."

Thornton area of discomfort? Neutral.

"He has a great bottom game, and his top game he can beat me," Best said. "I knew in neutral I could take him down and he couldn't take me down."

Best used a reversal in the closing seconds for the victory.

"I'm excited man, I'm happy I won," he said with a smile plastered to his face. "It's amazing."

That grin isn't exactly characteristic.

"He doesn't get too excited about anything," Barrera said. "That's probably the most excited you'll see him unless he qualifies for state."

Best will get his chance at that starting Friday at the Masters Meet at Stockton Arena.

Two other Patriots advanced to the masters. In third place matches, Fermin Novoa (108 pounds) defeated Placer's Anthony Wong while Garrett Monroe (222) was edged by Placer's Zach Steagall.

Woodland won the overall title Saturday, also advancing seven wrestlers to the Masters Meet.

Four Wolves earned weight-class championships. Chucky Rodriguez won (115 pounds) as a freshman, Wyatt Huckins (122) and Alex Rominger (134) defeated brothers from Whitney in the finals and Emilio Flores (160) tallied a pin just 42 seconds into his final match.